


A Rose by Any Other Name

by RosiePaw



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-01
Updated: 2010-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-05 15:23:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosiePaw/pseuds/RosiePaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Posted for <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/collections/mcsheplets_challenges">McSheplets</a> Challenge #55: Movie</p>
    </blockquote>





	A Rose by Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

> Posted for [McSheplets](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/mcsheplets_challenges) Challenge #55: Movie

The male members of SGA-1 had long since accepted that when it was Teyla’s turn to pick for movie night, the movies they ended up watching might not be movies they themselves would have chosen.  They also understood that standard avoidance tactics – not showing up, falling asleep, creating disruptions – were (1) disrespectful of their team-mate, and (2) really stupid considering said team-mate’s unarmed combat skills.

Thus, when Teyla mentioned that Simpson had recommended “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” John, Rodney and Ronon acquiesced with minimal whining.

“Dr. Simpson is right,” Teyla commented as the credits rolled, “This movie ends very sadly.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Ronon disagreed.  “She bought another ticket to see if she could meet another guy.”

“Right, as if that were likely!”

“Having a guy step out of a movie screen wasn’t likely the _first_ time, McKay, but it happened.  So why couldn’t it happen again?”

“Ronon, I think Rodney is right and that the final scene is meant to show the heroine once again using fantasy as an escape from her real life.”

“The final scene is meant to show that the heroine is an idiot!”

“Whoa, little harsh there, McKay?”

“Well, she _is_, Sheppard!  The entire movie illustrates what happens to people who can’t make up their minds.  She goes to movies to avoid dealing with her real life, including her jerk of a husband.  But when she has a chance to get the guy she’s been fantasizing about – a guy who stepped out of a movie just to meet her – she throws him over for another jerk just because the second jerk is ‘real’.  Then when she gets – predictably – dumped, she goes back to the movies for more fantasy.”

“She goes back to the movies to see if another guy’s gonna step out of the screen.”

“Ronon, that is _not_ going to happen.”

“Not unless she goes back to the movies.”

“You sound like one of the people who buy lottery tickets on the pseudo-logic that they’ll never win if they _don’t_ buy them.”

“What’s a lottery?”

“It’s a game of chance designed to take advantage of people who think they’re exempt from the laws of probability.”

“Like Sheppard.”

“Hey!” protested John, straightening up out of his usual slouch in his spot next to Rodney.  Which set Rodney off squawking, “Elbows, Sheppard!  Pointy, bony elbows!”

Teyla intervened.  “Rodney, are you saying that you would consider it an acceptable course of action for someone to choose to pursue a fantasy over reality?”

“Not exactly.  The heroine of the movie has a chance to make a fantasy _become real_ and she lets it go.  She can’t decide what she wants, so she ends up with nothing.  People should decide what they want.  I didn’t waste time wavering between a career in music and a career in science.  It was obvious that I had a much better chance of success in science, so that’s what I pursued.  Of course, for me winning a Nobel is a _goal_ rather than a mere _fantasy_, but my point is that vacillating back and forth wasn’t going to get me anywhere.  I decided what I wanted and went for it.”

“And your opinion is that this technique is also suitable when it comes to romantic relationships?”

“Yeah, McKay, it worked so well when you decided to ‘go for’ Sam Carter and got sent to Siberia.”

“As I’m sure you remember, Sheppard, my, uh, possibly ill-advised suggestions regarding Teal’c’s welfare also played a key role in that debacle.  Anyway, I got over Carter.  I dated Katie, for example.  And Jennifer.”

Ronon growled slightly.

“_Dated_, Conan, _past_ tense!”

“Anything happening in the _present_ tense, McKay?”

“Like I’d tell you if there _were_, Sheppard.  I don’t need you getting between me and any _more_ attractive women than you already have.”

“Hey, I was just trying to keep you out of trouble!”

“That would be so much more convincing if you tried harder to keep yourself out of trouble!  Avoiding trouble is so low on your list of priorities that it’s got _negative_ priority.”

“You’re implying that I make getting _into_ trouble a positive priority?”

“I’m just calling it as I see it, Colonel.”

“Rodney, I think that John is saying that he is trying to look out for your best interests.  But perhaps he should have a more detailed discussion with you as to how those interests are defined?”

Silence from both Rodney and John.  Teyla smiled serenely.

“If I may ask, Rodney, what if someone else were to apply your own reasoning and decide to ‘go for’ you?”

“You mean if McKay were someone’s fantasy?”  Ronon chuckled.

“Hey, it could happen!” Rodney protested.  “_Some_ people value intellect over muscle, not that _you_ would know.  And if someone did...  I guess I’d be flattered.”

“Even if it were someone you did not expect, Rodney?” Teyla asked gently.

“_Obviously_ it would be someone I didn’t expect, because if I expected it, that would mean I already knew she was interested, and if I knew someone was interested I wouldn’t wait for _her_ to approach _me_.”

“But what if it were someone who was not...”

“Not what?  Blonde?  Busty?  Intelligent?  Well, okay, she’d have to be intelligent.  That’s non-negotiable.  But tall, dark and slinky can be hot.  Consider Kirk here.”

“You think I’m hot, McKay?” John drawled.

“Lots of people think you’re hot, Shep-  Uh, I mean lots of people who aren’t me!”

“I know what you mean, McKay,” John laughed, shaking his head.

“What you mean, Rodney,” persisted Teyla, “is that if someone intelligent were strongly interested in you, you would wish this person to let you know of this interest, even if this person believed that any chance of your reciprocation was a fantasy?”

“If she were all that _intelligent_, she would realize that _not_ letting me know was the one sure way to guarantee that ‘reciprocation’ remained nothing _but_ a fantasy.  Uh, Teyla?  I don’t suppose you’d want to, you know, name names?”

“No, Rodney, I do not want to and am not going to.”

“Even if I promise not to say anything to her?  Okay, how about if I try guessing and you tell me if I’m right or wrong?  Come on, Teyla, I’m a genius, it’s only a matter of time before I figure it out on my own anyway.  It’s not as if there’s an infinite number of possibilities to choose from, not even if you count men as well as women.”

 John looked startled for perhaps five seconds before dropping back into a slouch and drawling nonchalantly, “Something you’re trying to tell us, McKay?”

“What, Sheppard?  Not everyone’s as narrow-minded as your military.  Intelligence and, uh, a reasonable degree of physical attractiveness can come in more than one package.”

“So even this person were male, you would still wish him to make his interest known to you?”  Teyla seemed determined to clarify this point.

“Well, to have enough respect for my own intelligence to at least open a discussion.  Teyla, are you sure you can’t tell me...”

“No, Rodney.  And it is getting late and Kanaan will be waiting, so good night.  Ronon, are you coming?”

“Yeah.  Early training session tomorrow.”

“I guess I should be going too.”

“Uh, McKay?  Could you stay a moment?  There’s something I need to, uh, discuss.”

***

After the door to Sheppard’s quarters closed behind them, Teyla and Ronon headed for the nearest transporter.

“So you think Sheppard’s finally gonna make a move?”

“If he does not, Ronon, I am sure that Dr. Simpson can suggest other movies.”


End file.
